Dental chairs may have mounted directly to them the equipment or delivery systems that are used by the dentist for carrying out dental procedures. Preferably, such equipment is mounted to the chair in a fashion such that it is positionable on either side of the dental chair.
An important design consideration in mounting equipment to a dental chair is to avoid the need for mounting mechanisms that may protrude from the chair and thereby impede the dentist's or assistant's movement around the chair.
Another design consideration for such integrated systems is to permit the post that carries the dental equipment to be swung about a wide angle so that the equipment may be made available on either of opposing sides of the chair.
This invention is directed to a dental chair that has mounted to it a support post assembly that may be pivotally moved through a wide angle of at least 70.degree., thereby to permit the equipment carried by the support post assembly to be located on either of the two sides of the chair, or anywhere in between. The pivot axis and associated mechanisms for pivotally mounting the post to the chair are carried beneath the seat and, therefore, do not protrude outwardly therefrom. Moreover, sufficient clearance is provided for the pivotally-mounted end of the support post so that a relatively uncomplicated support mechanism (a rigid tube) may be pivotally mounted to the chair and swung through the entire wide angle without the need to incorporate in the post hinges or other mechanisms for accomplishing the full wide-angle motion.